Oakwrights Scotland
Building their own home had never crossed the minds of Julie and Robert McLachlan when they decided to relocate from Somerset to Scotland. But after spotting an advert for a plot of land in Ayrshire, they started their self-build journey and have never looked back.
The retired couple had been living in Somerset for many years and owned two properties. Having lived in Scotland before and with family in the area, they decided to sell up and buy a new home for them to enjoy in their later years.
Robert explains: ‘We’d talked about moving for years and after finally deciding to go ahead, we set about trying to find the right home. We looked at all sorts of different properties but they were either the wrong size or the wrong price bracket. We were starting to feel disheartened when one day, standing in the pouring rain, we glimpsed an advert in an estate agent advertising a plot of land. We’ve never thought about going down the self-build route but it was within our price range and with nothing to lose, we went to have a look.
‘The first thing that struck us was the amazing view, which got us thinking about the potential of developing the plot and creating a truly unique new home that ticked every box.’
The couple worked with Oakwrights Scotland to create their four-bedroom property. Led by Iain Hendry, Oakwrights Scotland offers a full-build service which means the team can manage the entire process from locating the land through to developing the oak frame concept and completion of the build.
Robert continues: ‘We sat down with an Oakwright’s Frame Designer and they talked us through the whole design using 3D software so we could see every room and get a realistic feel for how everything would look. We were really impressed with their
approach and the fact we could have a say in the final layout to make sure it would suit our needs. We worked with them to move doors, switch the kitchen and dining area around, and create new features such as a boot room, workshop and log store.
‘Their attention to detail is amazing. We discussed every element of the property inside and out to make sure that all of our needs were accommodated. There have also been features put in place to meet our potential future requirements such as fittings on the roof should we decide to have solar panels.’
Once the design was agreed, final drawings were produced and converted into machine files for the cutting of the timbers. After the timber frame was delivered to the site, it was constructed in just three days ready for the remaining building work which was completed in November 2016.
Robert concludes: ‘ This isn’t t he sort of project you do more than once so you have to get it right and choose professional people to support you every step of the way. Iain and the Oakwrights Scotland team have been fantastic. The house we’ve got isn’t the one we started with but it’s one that suits us perfectly. In fact, we’re so impressed that we’ve offered to open up the house as a showhouse in the future.
‘A local estate agent has valued the house at more than we paid for it, so we know it’s been a sound investment too. But our priority was to find a house that we could stay and be happy in and with the help of Oakwrights Scotland, we’ve certainly succeeded.’